Jackson County

Jackson County, Oklahoma — key demographics

Population size

• 2020 Census: 24,535
• ACS 2018–2022 estimate: ~24.3k

Age

• Median age: ~34 years
• Under 18: ~26%
• 65 and over: ~16%

Gender

• Male: ~52%
• Female: ~48%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022)

• White alone: ~73%
• Black or African American alone: ~7%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~2–3%
• Asian alone: ~1–2%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: <1%
• Two or more races: ~8–9%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~25%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~54–56%

Household data (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~9.3k
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Family households: ~65% of households
• Married-couple households: ~46% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~31%
• Nonfamily households: ~35%
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: ~63–64%

Insights

• Population has modestly declined since 2010; profile skews slightly younger and more male than state averages, influenced by Altus Air Force Base.
• Hispanic/Latino share (~1 in 4 residents) is notably higher than the state average.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; Population Estimates Program.

Jackson County, OK (pop. 24,785; area ~804 sq mi; density ~30.8/sq mi)

• Estimated email users: ~17,600 adults (≈92% of ~19,100 adults).
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 18–34: ~5,800 (≈33%)
  • 35–54: ~6,200 (≈35%)
  • 55–64: ~3,000 (≈17%)
  • 65+: ~2,600 (≈15%)
• Gender split among users: ~51% male, 49% female; usage rates by gender are effectively equal.

Digital access and trends:

• ≈90% of households have a computer; ≈82% have a broadband subscription; ~13% are smartphone‑only internet users.
• Since 2019, subscription rates and median speeds have risen, reducing the no‑home‑internet share to the high‑teens.
• Connectivity clusters in and around Altus (cable/fiber commonly 100+ Mbps). Outlying communities rely more on fixed wireless and legacy DSL, reflecting higher last‑mile costs in a low‑density county.
• Mobile LTE/5G covers most populated corridors, supporting email on smartphones and mitigating gaps where wired options are limited.

Notes: Counts are county‑level estimates derived by applying recent U.S. email‑adoption rates (Pew-like benchmarks) to Jackson County’s adult population and ACS-style device/subscription indicators.

Mobile phone usage in Jackson County, Oklahoma (2025 snapshot)

Headline takeaways

• Mobile adoption is high and driven by a young, military‑influenced population in and around Altus, yet the county relies on mobile service more heavily as a primary connection than Oklahoma overall because wired broadband thins out outside town.
• 5G is present and reliable in Altus and along major corridors; coverage and capacity drop quickly in farm and rangeland areas, reinforcing a higher rate of wireless‑only households than the state average.

User estimates

• Population and households: ≈24,500 residents (2023 est.) across ≈9,250 households.
• Adult smartphone users: ≈16,400 (about 88% of adults). Adding teens 13–17 raises total smartphone users to ≈18,000.
• Wireless‑only (no landline) households: ≈7,200–7,500, or about 78–81% of households, several points above the Oklahoma average.
• Smartphone‑only internet households (no home broadband, rely on mobile data): ≈1,150–1,300 households (about 12–14%); higher than the statewide share due to limited wired options outside Altus.
• ACP sunset impact: roughly 800–900 local households likely lost or saw changes to discounted mobile/home internet when the Affordable Connectivity Program funding ended in 2024, increasing dependence on prepaid and budget plans.

Demographic breakdown (ownership and reliance)

• Age
  • 18–34: ≈6,600 residents; smartphone ownership ≈98% (≈6,500 users). Elevated by Altus Air Force Base, this is higher than the statewide rate for this age group.
  • 35–64: ≈8,100 residents; smartphone ownership ≈90% (≈7,300 users), similar to state levels.
  • 65+: ≈3,900 residents; smartphone ownership ≈65–70% (≈2,600–2,750 users), a bit lower than the state average for seniors. This group also shows the highest basic‑phone retention.
• Income
  • Households under $35k (a larger share than the state average) show smartphone ownership around the low‑80s percent and are disproportionately “smartphone‑only” for internet access. Prepaid/MVNO usage is notably higher than the state average in this segment.
• Race/ethnicity
  • The county’s sizable Hispanic population helps keep overall smartphone adoption high; gaps by race/ethnicity are small compared with gaps by income, age, and location (in‑town vs rural).

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage pattern
  • 5G from all three national carriers is established in Altus and along US‑62/283 and other primary routes; mid‑band 5G capacity is strongest in town.
  • Outside Altus, service commonly steps down to LTE; there are sparse or no‑service pockets near the county’s western and southern agricultural areas and toward the Quartz Mountain/Lugert vicinity just north of the county line.
• Speeds (typical)
  • In‑town Altus: low/mid‑band 5G often supports triple‑digit Mbps downloads (≈100–300 Mbps) with sub‑40 ms latency.
  • Rural stretches: LTE typically in the 5–30 Mbps range with higher latency; uplink is the constraint for hotspots and precision‑ag IoT.
• Backhaul and sites
  • Macro towers cluster around Altus, Blair, Eldorado, Olustee, Martha, and along highways; backhaul is a mix of fiber along corridors and microwave hops across farmland.
• Home broadband substitutes
  • 5G fixed‑wireless home internet is broadly available in Altus and select fringe areas and is taken up at higher rates than the state average because it competes well against legacy DSL and limited cable/fiber footprints outside town.

How Jackson County differs from Oklahoma overall

• More wireless‑only households: Approximately 3–7 points higher than the state share, reflecting rural last‑mile constraints beyond Altus.
• Higher smartphone adoption among young adults: Driven by the base and younger households; per‑capita mobile data use and app‑centric communication are above the state average in this cohort.
• Lower senior smartphone adoption: Seniors in rural areas of the county lag the Oklahoma average by a few points and are more likely to keep basic phones.
• Greater prepaid/MVNO reliance: Budget plans and prepaid lines have a larger footprint than statewide, tied to income mix and housing transience around the base.
• Heavier mobile‑as‑primary internet use: A noticeably larger slice of households rely on smartphones and hotspots instead of wired broadband than the state overall.
• 5G capacity concentration: Altus enjoys solid 5G capacity; mid‑band 5G outside town is spotty relative to metro counties, so the urban‑rural performance gap is wider than the Oklahoma average.

Operational implications

• Carriers see strong returns on in‑town capacity upgrades (mid‑band 5G and additional sectors), while rural coverage improvements should target known dead zones and agricultural corridors.
• Public services and healthcare providers should expect mobile to be the default channel for most adults, but plan for lower digital engagement among rural seniors unless assisted by training or device programs.
• With ACP gone, affordability pressures increase; maintaining robust prepaid options and locally targeted subsidies or device‑loan programs will be particularly impactful in Jackson County.

Jackson County, OK social media usage (2025 snapshot)

What this is: County-level social media metrics are not directly published by platforms. Figures below are modeled estimates for Jackson County using 2023–2025 U.S. Census/ACS demographics and Pew Research Center platform-adoption rates; they reflect best-available, defensible localizations.

Population base

• Residents: ≈24.6k (U.S. Census Bureau 2023 estimate)
• People age 13+: ≈20.3k

Overall social media users

• Estimated users (any platform): ≈16.8k (≈82% of residents age 13+; ≈68% of total population)

Age penetration (share using any social platform)

• 13–17: ≈95%
• 18–29: ≈90%
• 30–49: ≈83%
• 50–64: ≈70%
• 65+: ≈48%

Gender breakdown (of local social media users)

• Women: ≈51%
• Men: ≈49% Notes: Usage rates by gender are near parity nationally; Pinterest skews female, Reddit and X (Twitter) skew male.

Most-used platforms in Jackson County (estimated share of residents age 13+ using)

• YouTube: ≈83% (≈16.9k people)
• Facebook: ≈68% (≈13.8k)
• Instagram: ≈47% (≈9.5k)
• TikTok: ≈33% (≈6.7k)
• Pinterest: ≈35% (≈7.1k)
• Snapchat: ≈27% (≈5.5k; concentrated among teens/young adults)
• LinkedIn: ≈30% (≈6.1k; strongest among 25–44)
• X (Twitter): ≈22% (≈4.5k)
• Reddit: ≈22% (≈4.5k)
• WhatsApp: ≈21% (≈4.3k; relatively higher among Hispanic/Latino residents)

Behavioral trends observed in similar rural/micropolitan Oklahoma counties and consistent with Jackson County’s profile

• Facebook is the community hub: city/county pages, school athletics, churches, buy/sell/yard-sale groups, and severe-weather updates drive high engagement; Marketplace is a key commerce channel for vehicles, farm/ranch, and rentals.
• Short-form video growth: local small businesses and events rely on Reels/TikTok for discovery; cross-posting between Instagram and Facebook is common and effective.
• Youth messaging-first: Snapchat dominates daily communication for teens and college-age; stories and location features see high use around schools and recreation.
• YouTube is universal utility: how-to/DIY, auto repair, ag equipment maintenance, hunting/fishing, and Oklahoma weather coverage attract broad age engagement.
• News and alerts: X usage is modest but spiky during severe weather and major local sports/news; many residents follow NWS/OK meteorologists and emergency management.
• Bilingual engagement: Hispanic/Latino community presence (≈20–25% of residents) supports Spanish/English content strategies; WhatsApp group chats are common in families and small businesses.
• Military influence: Altus AFB families rely on Facebook Groups (housing, childcare, spouse/PCS support), lifting engagement for local services, gyms, and events.
• Timing: Engagement peaks evenings (7–9 pm CT) and weekends; weather days and school/event nights see surges. Giveaways, local faces, and practical information outperform generic brand posts.

Method and sources

• U.S. Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Jackson County, Oklahoma (population and age/sex structure, 2023 estimates)
• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year (demographics used for age 13+ base)
• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024–2025 (U.S. adult platform adoption by age and gender)
• Pew Research Center, Teens, Social Media and Technology 2023 (teen adoption benchmarks)
• DataReportal: Digital 2025: USA (national social media penetration context)

Notes on estimation: Platform percentages come from Pew’s national adoption rates applied to Jackson County’s 13+ population; teen-heavy platforms (Snapchat, TikTok) reflect higher 13–17 uptake. Counts are rounded to the nearest hundred for clarity.